The Baby Blues And Postnatal Depression and Anxiety: Whats the difference?

Society expects women to be happy during pregnancy and after the birth of a baby, and its hard to admit to being miserable especially when everything has gone smoothly and you have a perfectly healthy baby. The Baby Blues: Up to 80 percent of new mothers have the blues within 3 to 5 days of giving birth. You may feel tired, anxious, tearful and irritable. You may have rapid mood swings. THIS IS NORMAL AND SHOULD CLEAR UP IN ABOUT 2 WEEKS. Seek professional help ASAP if these feelings last longer than 2 weeks.

Exploring the myths: Bonding happens automatically This is the exception rather than the rule. Most women get to know their babies and build up a bond (or connection) with them as they care for them and as each gets to know the other. You will feel happy all the time Caring for a newborn usually leaves the mother feeling exhausted, confused, overwhelmed and frustrated at times especially in the middle of the night when baby doesnt want to feed or sleep. You will be able to manage your baby on your own A one-woman-show is not possible or wise. For the first two months you really just need to concentrate on getting to know your baby, establishing a feeding and sleeping routine and getting rest for yourself. For the last few months of pregnancy and the first few months after the birth, you usually feel vulnerable, scattered (dispersed) and not at all able to deal with tasks that require concentration, decision-making and assertiveness. It is probably part of the process of adjusting and getting in tune with your babys needs. At this time, it is important to let in as much practical and emotional support from ones partner, mother, friends etc. After six weeks your sex life will return to normal Apart from feeling exhausted, the babys demands may take all your energy. You and he may need to explore other ways of showing your tenderness and love for each other.

Why do so many mothers suffer in silence?

They hide their real feelings because they feel ashamed and guilty. Major Depression is a biological illness (chemical imbalances in the brain) that can be inherited. Depressed moms cannot just change their symptoms. Having PPD is not a reflection of your mothering skills. They may feel more anxious about the baby than depressed. You may not know you are depressed because you are so busy caring for your baby. They may receive help for the physical symptoms of depression, like insomnia or tiredness, without examining the underlying causes. Health professionals may not recognize the depression, or may not take it seriously. Partners and families may not understand how the mother is feeling, and may try to tell her to, Pull yourself together or count your blessings. If you have moderate or severe PPD you need to be treated. Am I suffering from depression?

Postpartum Depression (PPD) and Anxiety: Between 10 and 30 percent of all mothers suffer from this middle-range depression. It may develop slowly and at any time during the first year after your babys birth. You may : Feel angry, irritable, anxious, tired, sad. Feel worthless or not good enough. Feel numb and unable to care about things you cared about before. Feel resentment towards your baby. Find it hard to stay focused or feel like your thoughts are disorganized. Have frightening thoughts including thoughts of harming your baby. Feel hopeless about the future and have thoughts of ending your life. You may feel like youre going mad or that the blues arent going away. At times you might feel that you are coping but then your mood may become darker and darker.

If you are not sure whether or not you are experiencing depression, we suggest that you fill in the online Edinburgh Depression scale (www.pndsa.org.za), to score yourself. If your score exceeds 12, please speak to your Clinic Sister, Midwife, GP or your Gynecologist, contact the PNDSA at 082 8820072 or Dalene Kirsten at 082 699 4882

Untreated PPD affects your ability to bond with your baby. It may also affect your childs functioning in preschool.

Die Baby Blues En Nageboortelike Depressie en Angs: Wat is die verskil?

Die samelewing verwag van vroue om gelukkig te wees tydens swangerskap en na die geboorte van n baba, en dit is moeilik om te erken dat jy ellendig voel veral wanneer als glad verloop het en jy n gesonde baba het. Die Baby Blues: Dit affekteer 80 persent van vroue binne 3 tot 5 dae na die geboorte van hul babas. Jy voel dalk moeg, angstig, huilerig en geriteerd. Jy ervaar dalk vinnige gemoedskommelings. DIT IS NORMAAL EN JY BEHOORT BINNE 2 WEKE BETER TE VOEL. Soek onmiddelik professionele hulp indien hierdie gevoelens vir langer as 2 weke voort duur.

Mites: Moederlike instink skop onmiddelik in Dit is die uitsondering eerder as die rel. Die band tussen mamma en baba vorm en versterk met ter tyd. Dit gebeur nie outomaties nie. Jy sal heeltyd gelukkig voel Om n pasgebore baba te versorg kan uitputtend, frustrerend, oorweldigend, en verwarrend wees, veral met min en gebroke slaap. Jy is in staat om alleen verantwoordelikheid vir jou baba te neem n One-woman-show is onmoontlik. Dit is baie belangrik om die eerste 2 maande na jou baba se geboorte te gebruik om jou baba te leer ken, om goeie slaap en eet roetines by baba vas te l, en om genoeg rus in te kry. Gedurende die laaste paar maande van swangerskap en eerste paar maande na die geboorte van die baba, mag jy moontlik kwesbaar en los kop voel. Jy mag dit moeilik vind om op take te fokus wat konsentrasie, besluitneming en selfgelding verg. Dit is deel van die aanpassingsproses en dus nodig om man, jou vriende en jou familie toe te laat om jou prakties en emosioneel by te staan. Jou seks lewe sal terug keer na normal na ses weke Die versorging van jou pasgebore baba sal meeste van jou energie vat. Dit mag dalk vir jou en jou lewensmaat nodig wees om ander maniere te vind om jul liefde vir mekaar te wys.

Waarom sommige moeders ly in stilte

Hulle steek hul ware gevoelens weg omdat hulle skaam en skuldig voel. Depressie is n biologiese siekte (chemiese wanbalans in die brein) wat oorge-erf kan word. Simptome van depressie kan nie sommer net vanself beter raak nie. Behandeling is noodsaaklik. Dit is ook nie n weerspieling van jou vermo as n ouer nie. Hulle voel dalk meer bekommerd oor die baba as depressief. Hulle is so besig met die versorging van hul baba dat hulle nie besef hulle is depressief nie. Hulle ontvang dalk hulp vir die fisiese simptome van depressie, soos vir slapeloosheid of moegheid, sonder dat die onderliggende oorsake ondersoek word. Gesondheidswerkers mag dalk nie die depressie erken nie, of dit nie ernstig opneem nie. Vriende en familie verstaan nie hoe die ma voel nie en s dalk goed soos tel jou seninge of ruk jouself reg.

Ly ek aan depressie? Ons stel voor dat jy die Edinburgh Depressie skaal (www.pndsa.org.za) voltooi idien jy onseker voel oor jou simptome. As jou telling meer as 12 is, praat asseblief met Jou kliniek suster of vroedvrou, GP of jou ginekoloog, PNDSA (Postnatal Depression Support Association of South Africa) by 082 8820072 of Dalene Kirsten by 082 699 4882

Nageboortelike Depressie and Angs: Tussen 10 en 30 persent van alle mammas, ly aan nageboortelike depressie. Dit mag stadig en enige tyd gedurende die eerste jaar na die baba se geboorte ontwikkel. Jy: Voel geriteerd, huilerig, angstig, kwaad, teneergedruk. Voel nutteloos, nie goed genoeg nie, en hopeloos oor die toekoms. Voel emosioneel lam en stel nie belang in dinge wat voorheen vir jou belangrik was nie. koester n wrok teenoor jou baba. Voel deurmekaar en vind dit moeilik om gefokus te bly. Dink daaraan om jou baba seer te maak. Voel asof jy mal raak en dat die blues net nie weg gaan nie. Met tye voel jy in beheer en dan raak jy weer depressief.

Onbehandelde nageboortelike depressie beinvloed jou vermo om n band met jou baba te vorm. Dit kan ook n negatiewe effek op jou kind se funksioneering h, veral gedurende die voorskool jare.